The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-02-25
Public School Attendance.
Communicated.

caSlOnS 80 MUCH aunOydHcc ~ tHC tenShoi
and is so pernicious to the best int crest Of
both parent and children as the astonishing
ly poor attendance of our pupils at the pub
lie schools. This careless habit is not con-
fined to one or two or even to few pupils
in few isolated schools but is prevalent to
an alarming extent in every school through
out the county and we might add through
out the State. We think we are making a
statement safe from successful contrad-
iction when we say, that the attendance for
the year will not average Is per cent of
the number of pupils enrolled. To be sure
some pupils attend regularity but there are
others whose attendance would not exceed
from to 25 days out of q possible 55.
We are aware that in many cases, sickness
or some unavoidable circumstance comes
in to break the average attendance but in
many, and in fact in most cases, it is due to
want of inclination on the part of the child
and carelessness on the part of the parent.
Not wishing to make too lengthy an article
we will merely briefly mention our opening
sentence 1st. The annoyance to The teach
er: We suppose the majority of teachers are
to at least a certain extent, possessed Of the
same sensibilities of nature as other human
beings. A vacant seat then suggests either
unavoidable, or careless, indifferent absence
No matter to which opinion you incline
the thought cannot be pleasant one. The
teacher feels deep personal interest in each
pupil or he is neither good teacher or
a true man. The thought that the abb
sent pupil is sick will detract wonderfully
from the teachers interest in his class reci-
tations and thus work an injustice to those
who are present. On the other hand if he
knows that the pupil has no legitimate ex-
cuse for being absent, he feels that he has
in some, to him, unknown way given Of
feuse and that his labors are not appreciat-
ed. He becomes discouraged and quits the
vocation for some other business in which
his efforts will be more appre ciated and re
numerated.
In every study there are certain points
which require more study from the pupils
and more explanation from the teacher thar
others and the dull pupil who really needs
the explana tions most is generally the one
who is most often absent. The teacher
must either give the pupil private drill
upon the parts he missed during his absenc,
or take up Time belonging to the school
But as is often the case he has no tim,
and the pupil is the loser. not only of those
parts missed by absence but of much that il
bound inbeparably to them by relation. Any
one who knows anything about it, knows
that to lose one link in chain of mathmat
ical reasoning, no matter how simple, de
stroys the whole. think it patent that th'
interest of the pupil is materially and per-
niciously effected by these absences. Is i
not equally so that the parents interest il
also affected.
In our county, teachers are paid in pro.
portion TO the number of pupils enrolled
IF the teacher is paid for teaching chile
for 55 days and the child goes to school hui
Is days, is it not evident that the tax pay
ers pay for something they do not get? The
parent may pay no tax. But on general
principles is it not much better TO have an
educated rather than an uneducated son or
daughter? 1t is an acknowledged fact that
the strength of Republic lies in the iptell
igent education of its masses. While we
do not claim that education decreases crime
we do think that it gives to people an in
creased power and inclination for good.
Ifthose pupils whose attendance a: school
is so poor would lose all their time at the
beginning or the end OF the term, it would
not matter so much to the teacher but COM
ing in as :hey do at irregular intervals.
they annoy the teacher, disorganize the
plan of study for the whole class, and OBJ
tain but little true good from their work.
Not wishing TO discuss further the evil
results of this poor attendance we will 40.
tice one or two Of its more prominent causes
1st. A distaste for study on the part of the
child, engendered by its home surround
lngs. 2nd. Indifference on the part of the
parents. One would he surprised to know
how uncougenial to study is the surround